Improvement in clothes-pounders



W. T. HOWE, Clothes-Founder.

No. 220,288. Patented Oct 7,1879.

fizvezzfor Wffness es N4 PETERS, 'PHOTO-Ll UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM 'r. HOWE; on STEELVILLE, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN CLOTHES-POUNDERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 220,288, dated October 7, 1879; application filed May 13, 1879.

To all whom t't may concern:

Be it known that I, WM. T. HOWE, of Steelville, in the county of Crawford and State of Missouri, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Clothes -Pounders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to clothcs-pounders.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure 1 is a plan view of a device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the same through the line x as of Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a bottom view.

In the drawings, A is a cylinder, made of sheet metal or other suitable material, haviug secured near its lower end a wide bottom or base, B, with a rim or depending flange, (J.

On the circumference of the cylinder at suitable distances from each other are placed tubes e e e e, constructed of the same material as the cylinder, which are attached to it throughout their entire length, or only at their upper extremities, and are attached at their lower extremities to the base or bottom B, and which, by means of openings 6 in the cylinder near the top and through the base at 6, form channels for the passage of the water upward and downward when the machine is in operation.

The cylinder A projects a short distance below the top of the base B, and the rim or flange G of the'base beyond the lower end of the cylinder about the distance shown in the drawings.

Immediately underneath the base, and resting against it, is the movable slide or valve V, which is furnished with openings o, correspondin g in number to the tubes heretofore described.

In the cylinder works a piston, consisting of a head, P, having a somewhat loosely-fittin g packing-rin g of yarn or other suitable material 1). The packing-box S, in the top of the cylinder, is also packed with yarn or other suitable material P is the piston-rod, carrying the handle H,

by which latter the pistons; moved.

ln operation, the clothes are placed in a tub or other receptacle, and the pounder is placed upon the clothes in the vessel, and the piston thereof is forced up and down by raising and lowering the handle. The rim of the base, being immersed in the water and fit ting closely upon the clothes, prevents the pas sage of air into the cylinder. Upon the upstroke of the piston the water is drawn through the clothes and into the cylinder, filling all that portion below the piston-head. Upon the downstroke of the piston the water contained in the cylinder below the piston-head is forced downward through the clothes, and at the same time water is forced upward through the clothes and the side tubes into the upper part of the cylinder by the press ure of the atmosphere to fill the vacuum above the piston-head. At each subsequent raising of the piston, while the water is drawn upward into the cylinder from below, the water in the upper part of the cylinder is discharged through the side tubes downward through the clothes.

The force with which the water passes through the tubes, as well as the quantity, may be regulated by the valve V, by which the size of the openings in the base communicating with the tubes may be regulated as required.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a clothes-pounder, the tubes 0 e e e, in combination with the cylinder A, piston P P, and the base B. having the depending flange or rim 0.

2. In a clothes-pounder, the adjustable slide or valve V, in combination with the base B and the tubes 0.

3. In a clothes-pounder, the combination of the cylinder A, the tubes 0 e e e, the base B,

and the adjustable slide or valve V, substantially as described, and for the purposes speci fled.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 3d day of May, 1879.

HERMON FERGUSON, E. F. LARUE. 

